Accepting a job offer feels like the end of the process, and it is the moment when the details that will shape the next year are easiest to fix and most often skipped. This page gives the checklist to run before you say yes, the acceptance email with wording, when and how to resign the same week, what to do if the written offer does not match the conversation, and how to rehearse the offer and resignation conversations so you confirm what you need to without sounding like you are haggling. It is general information about a career decision, not financial or legal advice.
Before you say yes
| Confirm | Why it matters | What to ask |
|---|---|---|
| A written offer | A verbal offer is a conversation; the letter is the deal | 'Could you send the written offer so I can confirm by Friday?' |
| Pay and its basis | Annual or monthly, gross, over how many payments, bonus terms | 'Is the figure gross annual, and is the bonus guaranteed or discretionary?' |
| Start date | Notice period and a break, agreed before signing | 'I have a four-week notice period and would like a week between roles.' |
| Benefits start | Health cover, pension and leave often start after a waiting period | 'When do benefits begin, and is there a probation period?' |
| Working pattern | Remote, hybrid or on-site, and whether it can change | 'Is the hybrid arrangement in the contract or a policy?' |
| Anything promised verbally | A review in six months, a project, a title change | 'Could the six-month review be noted in the offer?' |
| Pre-booked leave | Easier agreed now than in month two | 'I have a holiday in August; could we note it?' |
Run the checklist on the offer call itself, as described in the job offer call: what to expect and what to ask, and again against the written letter. Anything you negotiate, including the start date in how to negotiate your start date, happens now, before acceptance, not after.
The acceptance email
Short, warm and specific. For example: "Thank you for the offer; I am delighted to accept the role of X at a salary of Y, starting on the 14th, as set out in your letter of the 2nd. I have signed and attached the offer. As discussed, my holiday in the first week of August is agreed as unpaid leave. I will resign from my current role this week and confirm my notice date. I am looking forward to joining the team." Restating the key terms in the email is not distrust; it is the record both sides will rely on if memories differ. Reply within the time they asked for, and if you need a day or two more to see the written letter, say so rather than going quiet. If the written offer does not match what was agreed, say so before signing, politely and specifically: "the letter shows Y; we discussed Z. Could it be updated?" Most mismatches are clerical and fixed in an hour.
Resign the same week
- Resign only when the signed offer is in your hands and any conditions, such as a background check, are either cleared or you understand the risk.
- Tell your manager in person or by video before anyone else, then confirm in writing with the notice date.
- Four sentences: the decision, gratitude, the last day, the handover offer. No reasons unless asked; if asked, the short honest version.
- Expect a counter-offer and decide in advance how you will respond; the decision rule is in how to handle a counter-offer.
- Work your notice properly; the people you leave are your references for the next decade.
- Tell the new employer your notice date as soon as it is confirmed.
If you have other offers or processes open
Once you accept, tell the other employers the same day; the wording is in how to decline a job offer politely. Do not accept one offer while waiting to see whether a better one arrives; reneging on an acceptance is remembered, in small industries for years. If you genuinely need a few more days to decide between two offers, ask for them honestly rather than accepting and withdrawing. The negotiation that happens before acceptance, where it is legitimate to mention a competing offer, is covered in salary negotiation role-play with AI.
Where CoPilot Interview fits
CoPilot Interview is an AI interview assistant whose free AI mock interview can run the offer call and the resignation as role-plays, reading the other side's lines aloud and scoring your spoken answers out of ten, so confirming the terms and giving notice come out clear and warm rather than hesitant. The free plan gives 15 minutes a day of live help in sessions of up to 15 minutes, with AI mock interviews included. The product is built for practice; if you ever consider live help in a real interview, follow your employer's rules.
Disclosure: CoPilot Interview is our product, so weigh what we say about it accordingly.
Frequently asked questions
What should I confirm before accepting a job offer?
The written offer, pay and its basis, start date, when benefits begin and any probation, the working pattern, anything promised verbally, and any pre-booked leave.
How do I write an acceptance email?
Thank them, accept the role, restate salary and start date as in the letter, attach the signed offer, note anything agreed such as leave, and say you will confirm your notice date.
When should I resign?
The same week, once the signed offer is in your hands and any conditions are cleared or understood. In person first, then in writing.
What if the written offer differs from what was discussed?
Say so before signing, specifically and politely, and ask for the letter to be updated. Most mismatches are clerical.
Can I accept and then take a better offer?
You can, but it damages your reputation with both employers and the recruiter. Ask for time to decide instead.
Practice this interview before the real one
The AI mock interview builds questions from your resume and the job description, reads them aloud and scores each spoken answer out of 10. Included on the free plan.
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